


balance the bitter

by anon_drabble



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24926761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anon_drabble/pseuds/anon_drabble
Summary: i've been working heavily on a new fic that's taken up nearly all my writing time. it's still not ready to post but i wanted to get SOMETHING up. so i saw a list of prompts and there was one along the lines of "you're a regular in the coffee shop but you won't give me your real name for the cup" and so i got this idea for unknown. 😂
Relationships: Choi Saeran/Reader, Unknown/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71





	balance the bitter

**Author's Note:**

> i worked in a cafe for close to 10 years, earning my barista chops 😂 it's never stated in the fic but i think of him ordering an americano, maybe originally a red-eye and transferring fully to espresso. but with a barista able to suggest and let him try things, i see him enjoying a cappuccino most mornings, probably a dry cappuccino. 👍 (but maybe that's just because cappuccinos were my specialty lol)

You saw him every day. Sometimes more than once. He was… Well, let's face it. He was attractive. That one customer you always remembered because his looks stuck in your mind. He never said much, just ordered his drink in as few words as possible. Sometimes you'd offer him an extra shot of espresso when his eyes looked especially dark and sometimes he agreed. He usually didn't want any flavors. At first, everyone thought he just wanted the pure caffeine, nothing but the espresso taste. Your coworker tested it once, letting his shots die and serving him the bitter drink. He never said anything but you saw him wince, just the smallest twitching around his eyes and mouth when he sipped it. So you knew he didn't enjoy the bitter flavor. 

Even though he ordered mostly the same drink every day, you knew so little about him. You didn't even know his name. In the beginning, he simply never answered when you asked for his name for the cup. You were forced to leave it blank but that could be problematic. It was your coworker who dubbed the man "Unknown" and began labeling his cups as such. When he began to actually come to the counter to claim cups with that name, it stayed and now everyone knew him only as Unknown. He rarely had to give his name anymore, as he was enough of a regular that you didn't even bother to ask, but sometimes a new person would. He'd tell them to put Unknown on the cup. They would look at you for confirmation, you'd nod. Sometimes you'd meet his eyes and while he never said anything, you thought he appreciated it. 

You were the one to notice the days when his feet would drag him in. You didn't need him to ever speak his order and on the bad days, you'd simply ask for the money with a small smile. You tried to look sympathetic, in case it helped him. He never said anything. One particularly bold day, you wrote his name with a small smiley face. No response. You didn't really know if your gestures ever helped but you concocted this romantic fantasy in your mind that you were the one keeping him sane during his difficult time and eventually he'd see and he'd come to you and confess how many times you helped him. And he'd whisk you off your feet for a happy life with him. Impossible? Of course it was. You weren't a fool; you understood that it would never happen. But fantasies were dreams for a reason. It felt unlikely that he noticed you or recognized your small efforts. But the gestures caused no harm and so there was no reason to stop. 

And then he started getting worse. Every day he came in, he had more circles under his eyes. His voice had an edge to it. He spoke even less, never made eye contact. Something bad was happening in his life, you were certain. But he never spoke to you so you didn't know how to help. You watched him come in, drink his coffee, and leave, as always, but you somehow knew he struggled in his own mind. 

One day, you couldn't bear it any longer. He came in, as usual. You were alone behind the counter. You fixed his drink as normal but decided to take a risk. You added some sweet flavoring, just a bit of vanilla. Most probably wouldn't be able to taste it over the coffee. But you added it, thinking of his expression to the bitter taste of expired shots, remembering the times you caught him subtly watching as the seasonal sweets were stocked. He never bought them, never mentioned them. But you just had the feeling that maybe he liked sweet things.

You served his coffee. He took it to a table and drank it in silence, as always. It looked as though he hadn't noticed. He left without a word. You watched him go, wishing silently he might feel better soon. When it came time for your shift to end, you stepped outside, the sunlight temporarily blinding you. 

"Hey." 

The voice stopped you. You stopped and shielded your eyes, turning to find Unknown standing beside the door. "Oh. Um. Hi," you said uncertainly. 

He approached you. "You did something to my coffee this morning," he accused. 

You bit your lip, suddenly feeling as if you shouldn't have taken the chance with the flavor. "Yeah. I added some vanilla. To make it sweeter." 

He didn't say anything right away but he looked away. "It tasted good. Can I have it like that next time?" he mumbled. 

You had a huge smile on your face. "Of course! Whenever you want! If we add in the extra shot, I can put more vanilla in, too, so you can taste it more but still get the caffeine. If you want." 

Again, a long pause. He still wouldn't look at you but inwardly, you could only think about how cute he was. "That sounds good. How'd you know? That I'd like it?" 

"I didn't. I just thought you might. And it seems like you've been having a hard time lately. So I thought I'd take a chance."

"Oh." He looked a bit conflicted and you wondered if you'd said too much. "It's this stupid guy. He won't let up and I have to work all night because of him. He needs to just give up. I'm smarter so I'm going to win anyways." You had no idea what he was talking about but you were glad to hear him opening up a little. He finally looked at you again. "Okay so you were right about the flavor so I guess I should give you something, too. What'dya want?" 

You were caught off-guard. You certainly hadn't expected him to offer anything in repayment. But you didn't really want anything from him. Except… "Then…. Can you tell me your name? Your real name?" 

The request surprised him. He sort of narrowed his eyes at you, sizing you up, deciding if he should trust you. Finally, he opened his mouth. "Saeran." 


End file.
